This invention relates generally to an assembly for supporting roof panels at selected pitch angles and standardized components thereof which can be adjusted to provide the selected roof pitch.
The variable pitch ridge beam assembly of the present invention is particularly adaptable to lean-to type structures which are added to new or existing construction, the most popular of which are referred to as solar or sun rooms, in which at least a greater portion of the roof and walls are constructed of glass pannels. Of course, solid pannels may be substituted for the glass pannels where and as desired.
A better understanding of the background of the present invention may be obtained by referring to U.S. Pat. No. 4,724,646 which issued on Feb. 16, 1988 for Variable Pitch Roof Support Assembly And Components Thereof.
When constructing a variable pitch ridge beam assembly for supporting roof panels at selectable pitch angles, it has to be kept in mind that these lean-to or sun room structures will be going out to many different contractors with varied experience for erection. Accordingly, the lean-to construction and assembly must be as simple as possible and readily understood by all contractors who will have to construct the sun room package, yet provide a structure which is effectively sealed from the elements. This problem is even further complicated when attempting to incorporate a variable pitch roof assembly into the lean-to structure.
Existing variable pitch beam assemblies are plagued with problems of either inadequate weather sealing or they are over complex.
For example, all existing variable pitch ridge beam assemblies incorporate a ridge cover flange, which is in some manner secured to the ridge beam and overlies the top of the roof panels to seal the upper edge of the roof pannels from the outside elements. However, some rely on caulking as the only and final seal between the cap or cover flange and the ridge beam.
For example in one variable pitch beam assembly presently on the market, the horizontally extending ridge cover flange that covers the top of the roof panels has an upwardly extending and coextending flange extension portion that is secured to the ridge beam by nails or screws and this portion of the cover flange permits the entire flange to vertically rock up or down against the ridge beam on the nails or screws so that the bottom portion of the cover flange that over laps the roof panels will mate with the roof panels for the designated variable pitch that is selected for the roof.
This construction means that the screws or nails must pass through a portion of the cover flange thereby providing areas for possible air leaks and water leaks, and in addition, an air tight seal is not provided between the ridge beam and the cover flange.
Another type of variable ridge beam assembly, as is illustrated in U.S. Pat. No. 4,724,646, which issued on Feb. 16, 1988 for Variable Pitch Roof Support Assembly And Components Thereof, apparently provides an effective seal, unlike the above-mentioned product, but it is more complex and expensive to manufacture and install. In this patented structure, a long horizontally extending arcuate flange projects laterally outward from the ridge beam and curves downward, and this arcuate flange is further provided with longitudinal grooves so that this arcuate elongated flange may be shortened by breaking off longitudinal segments thereof along these longitudinal grooves or scores so that the arcuate flange will meet the roof panels at their selected pitch. In addition, this arcuate downwardly curving cover flange is not of a flexible nature in that the flange as a whole cannot pivot and therefore the cover flange as a whole cannot pivot to meet slight variations in roof pitch, as the ridgid arcuate flange is designed to be broken off only at specific or along designated break points. In addition, because the arcuate ridgid flange in an integral extruded part of the ridge beam, there is no thermal break between the cover flange and the ridge beam.
It is an important object of the present invention to provide a variable pitch ridge beam assembly which is inexpensive to manufacture and assemble and which is also convenient and readily understood by construction personnel, thereby minimizing any possible construction errors while still providing a quality variable pitch ridge beam assembly which will not leak and which further provides a maximum seal from the elements.